Intel DH55TC Review

As Intel introduces a new wave of processors, a new group of chipsets and motherboards is emerging as well, led by the flexible, compact DH55TC motherboard. They're not strictly necessary; Intel's latest Core i3 and Core i5 chips, based on the new architecture code-named "Clarkdale," will actually work on many existing Socket 1156 motherboards that are built around Intel's P55 chipset—but you won't be able to use the CPUs' built-in graphics-processing unit. The DH55TC uses Intel's new H55 chipset, which lets you take full advantage of the Intel HD Graphics core built into new Core i3 and i5 CPUs such as the Intel Core i5-661. And you'll want to, because that's a key reason why this board is a good value.

Compact MicroATX boards like the DH55TC can sometimes have their onboard components placed in problematic ways, but we found this board to be well laid-out, with convenient access to internal connectors and nothing blocking the use of larger heatsinks. Along with the new Clarkdale CPU chips, the board will accommodate the older Socket 1156 Core i5 and i7 chips, such as the Core i5-750. However, with those chips, you'll have to add a graphics card, as they have no graphics processor on the CPU to work with the motherboard's built-in video ports.

On the back panel, you'll find a combo PS/2 mouse/keyboard port; a Gigabit Ethernet jack; six USB 2.0 ports; analog audio; and VGA, DVI, and HDMI video ports. One limitation we encountered was a resolution ceiling of just 1,920x1,200 pixels. The video outputs worked fine at full resolution connected via DVI to a 24-inch, 1,920x1,200 monitor and via HDMI to a 1080p television set. But connected to a 30-inch, 2,560x1,600-resolution display via a dual-link-capable DVI cable, the output was limited to 1,280x800 pixels. This won't be an issue for users of smaller monitors or 1080p TV sets, but owners of 30-inch monitors will want to check to see if a driver update fixes this limitation.

Given that this board is part of Intel's Media series, we were surprised to see that the built-in Realtek HD audio output supported only three analog audio jacks (for 5.1-channel audio) and requires an optional back-panel cable to add a dedicated digital output. If you're using the built-in HDMI video output, however, the board can send premium digital auto, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS Premium, over the HDMI cable. Teamed with a prerelease version of CyberLink PowerDVD updated with Clarkdale graphics support, we found the Blu-ray audio/video experience using the Core i5-661 and DH55TC to be top-notch over HDMI on a large 1080p television.

Slot expansion is extremely limited here, but SATA and video ports abound, making this board an ideal start for a media PC.

The DH55TC features a single PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot for adding a dedicated graphics card, as well as a pair of PCIe x1 slots and a PCI slot. There are four dual-channel DDR3 memory slots. You'll find six Serial ATA ports for hard drives and optical drives, but there's no EIDE/parallel ATA drive connector or floppy connector. Though you'll find motherboard connectors ("headers") for adding six additional USB 2.0 ports, front-panel audio, a consumer infrared receiver, and even legacy serial and parallel ports, there's no support for IEEE 1394/FireWire.

This compact board is clearly aimed at users looking to build home-theater PCs and other compact computers, rather than the performance crowd looking to overclock their systems. With the version of the BIOS we received, you can only overclock by altering the host clock frequency, and you can't alter voltages. You can't even set the RAM frequency manually, which was frustrating because the board ran our DDR3 1333 memory at 1,066MHz. Perhaps Intel will enhance the BIOS Performance tab in future BIOS revisions, but for now, this is a board for people content to run their chips at rated speeds.

Overall, the DH55TC, paired with a Clarkdale Core i3 or i5 chip, makes an excellent foundation for a home-theater PC or compact desktop, particularly if you're looking to build an inexpensive system for Blu-ray and DVD playback. The few limitations we encountered mostly affect enthusiasts and power users who would likely be choosing higher-end equipment, anyway. If you're not an enthusiast gamer, our experience with the Core i5-661 and DH55TC pairing showed it to be a highly capable duo for productivity and entertainment at a very reasonable price.

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